Ink composition, recording method and recorded image utilizing the same, ink set and ink head

• US 7,699,919 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kamoto, Takanori, Uehara, Makoto, Morimoto, Kiyobumi, Nakatsu, Hiromi, Kinomoto, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Lorengo; Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAISON, VERONICA F
• Application Number:
  US10/665,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20040069183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,402 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.27, 106/31.6, 106/31.58, 106/31.86
• US Class Current: 106/31.27
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/40 Ink-sets specially adapted for multi-colour inkjet printing

Abstract

An ink composition is prepared in such a manner that a difference between a dynamic surface tension (mN/m) measured by a maximum bubble pressure method at a temperature of 24 to 26° C. and a static surface tension (mN/m) is within a range from 0 to 7 (mN/m). The ink composition is stored in an ink tank of an ink head, and is supplied from the ink tank to an ink chamber having a discharge port, and a voltage is applied to partitions formed by a piezoelectric material to apply a pressure by the partitions to the ink composition stored in the ink chamber, whereby a liquid droplet of the ink composition is discharged from the discharge port and the liquid droplet is deposited on a recording material to record an image.

Claims

1. An ink composition comprising at least a coloring agent and a medium, wherein the ink composition has a dynamic surface tension, measured by a maximum bubble pressure method at a temperature of 24 to 26°

C., and a static surface tension measured at a temperature of 24 to 26°

C. which satisfy the following relation (1);

0≦

[dynamic surface tension (mN/m)]−

[static surface tension (mN/m)]≦

7 (mN/m) 

 

(1),

said composition further comprising a surfactant which is present at least in an amount of a critical micelle concentration, wherein a bubble frequency, at which the dynamic surface tension is measured, is within a range from 0.5 to 35 Hz, and wherein the surfactant is a compound represented by any one of following general formulas (III), (IV) and (V)

2. The ink composition of claim 1, wherein the static surface tension is within a range of from 20 to 50 mN/m.

3. The ink composition of claim 1, further comprising water as a medium.

4. The ink composition of claim 1, wherein the medium includes a glycol ether and/or a polyhydric alcohol.

5. The ink composition of claim 1, wherein the coloring agent includes a pigment.

6. The ink composition of claim 1, wherein the coloring agent includes a pigment having a hydrophilic group.

7. The ink composition of claim 1, wherein the surfactant includes a nonionic surfactant.

8. The ink composition of claim 5, wherein the pigment includes at least one of C. I. Pigment blue 15:

3, C. I. Pigment blue 15;

4, C. I. Pigment red 122, C. I. Pigment red 209, C. I. Pigment violet 19, C. I. Pigment yellow 74, C. I. Pigment yellow 138, C. I. Pigment yellow 150 and C. I. Pigment yellow 180.

9. A recording method for recording an image, comprising:

depositing an ink composition on a recording material,

wherein the ink composition is the ink composition of claim 1.

10. The recording method of claim 9 wherein, prior to said depositing, said ink composition is pressurized to discharge a liquid droplet of the ink composition;

and

said depositing comprises depositing the liquid droplet on the recording material.

11. A recording method of claim 9, wherein the ink composition comprises a yellow pigment, a magenta pigment and a cyan pigment.

12. A recording method for recording an image, comprising:

pressurizing an ink composition to discharge a liquid droplet of an ink composition; and

depositing the liquid droplet on a recording material, wherein the ink composition comprises a blue pigment, a red or violet pigment, and a yellow pigment of claim 8.

13. A recorded image recorded by the recording method of claim 9.

14. A recorded image recorded by the recording method of claim 10.

15. An ink set comprising a blue pigment, a red or violet pigment, and a yellow pigment of claim 8.

16. An ink head comprising:

an ink tank comprising the ink composition of claim 1;

an ink chamber having a discharge port for discharging a liquid droplet of the ink composition and receiving a supply of the ink composition from the ink tank;

a piezoelectric element generating a strain in response to an applied voltage and provided at least in a part of the ink chamber thereby applying a pressure to the ink composition contained in the ink chamber; and

an electrode for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element.

17. An ink head comprising:

an ink tank comprising the ink composition of claim 1;

an ink chamber having a discharge port for discharging a liquid droplet of the ink composition and receiving a supply of the ink composition from the ink tank;

a heat generating member provided in at least a part of the ink chamber, for heating the ink composition contained in the ink chamber to generate a bubble therein and thereby applying a pressure to the ink composition; and

an electrode for applying a voltage to the heat generating member.

18. A recorded image recorded by depositing a liquid droplet of an ink composition, discharged by the ink head of claim 16, onto a recording material.

19. A recorded image recorded by depositing a liquid droplet of an ink composition, discharged by the ink head of claim 17, onto a recording material.

20. An ink composition comprising at least a coloring agent and a medium, wherein among dynamic surface tensions measured by a maximum bubble pressure method at a temperature of 24 to 26°

C., a dynamic surface tension (α

₁₀) at a bubble frequency of 10 Hz and a dynamic surface tension (α

₁) at a bubble frequency of 1 Hz have a difference d (=α

₁₀−

α

₁) satisfying the following relation (2);

0 mN/m≦

d≦

7 mN/m 

 

(2),

said composition further comprising a surfactant which is present at least in an amount of a critical micelle concentration, wherein a bubble frequency, at which the dynamic surface tension is measured, is within a range from 0.5 to 35 Hz, and wherein the surfactant is a compound represented by any one of following general formulas (XI), (XII) and (XIII)

22. The ink composition of claim 20, wherein the static surface tension is within a range of from 20 to 50 mN/m.

23. The ink composition of claim 20, further comprising water as a medium.

24. The ink composition of claim 20, wherein the medium includes a glycol ether and/or a polyhydric alcohol.

25. The ink composition of claim 20, wherein the coloring agent includes a pigment.

26. The ink composition of claim 20, wherein the coloring agent includes a pigment having a hydrophilic group.

27. The ink composition of claim 20, wherein the surfactant includes a nonionic surfactant.

28. The ink composition of claim 25, wherein the pigment includes at least one of C. I. Pigment blue 15:

3, C. I. Pigment blue 15;

4, C. I. Pigment red 122, C. I. Pigment red 209, C. I. Pigment violet 19, C. I. Pigment yellow 74, C. I. Pigment yellow 138, C. I. Pigment yellow 150 and C. I. Pigment yellow 180.

29. A recording method for recording an image, comprising:

depositing an ink composition on a recording material,

wherein the ink composition is the ink composition of claim 20.

30. The recording method of claim 29 wherein, prior to said depositing, said ink composition is pressurized to discharge a liquid droplet of the ink composition;

and

said depositing comprises depositing the liquid droplet on the recording material.

31. A recording method of claim 29, wherein the ink composition comprises a yellow pigment, a magenta pigment and a cyan pigment.

32. A recording method for recording an image, comprising:

pressurizing an ink composition to discharge a liquid droplet of an ink composition; and

depositing the liquid droplet on a recording material, wherein the ink composition comprises a blue pigment, a red or violet pigment, and a yellow pigment of claim 28.

33. A recorded image recorded by the recording method of claim 20.

34. A recorded image recorded by the recording method of claim 30.

35. An ink set comprising a blue pigment, a red or violet pigment, and a yellow pigment of claim 28.

36. An ink head comprising:

an ink tank comprising the ink composition of claim 20;

an ink chamber having a discharge port for discharging a liquid droplet of the ink composition and receiving a supply of the ink composition from the ink tank;

a piezoelectric element generating a strain in response to an applied voltage and provided at least in a part of the ink chamber thereby applying a pressure to the ink composition contained in the ink chamber; and

an electrode for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element.

37. An ink head comprising:

an ink tank comprising the ink composition of claim 20;

an ink chamber having a discharge port for discharging a liquid droplet of the ink composition and receiving a supply of the ink composition from the ink tank;

a heat generating member provided in at least a part of the ink chamber, for heating the ink composition contained in the ink chamber to generate a bubble therein and thereby applying a pressure to the ink composition; and

an electrode for applying a voltage to the heat generating member.

38. A recorded image recorded by depositing a liquid droplet of an ink composition, discharged by the ink head of claim 36, onto a recording material.

39. A recorded image recorded by depositing a liquid droplet of an ink composition, discharged by the ink head of claim 37, onto a recording material.

21. An ink composition comprising at least a coloring agent and a medium, wherein among dynamic surface tensions measured by a maximum bubble pressure method at a temperature of 24 to 26°

C., a dynamic surface tension (α

₁₀) at a bubble frequency of 10 Hz and a dynamic surface tension (α

₁) at a bubble frequency of 1 Hz have a difference d (=α

₁₀−

α

₁) satisfying the following relation (2);

0 mN/m≦

d≦

7 mN/m 

 

(2),

the coloring agent consists of a dye, and wherein the surfactant is a compound represented by any one of following general formulas (XI), (XII) and (XIII)